International Women’s Day has become a major fixture in the global calendar in recent years and a unique event will take place in Galway when remarkable local females are honoured as Dúchas na Gaillimhe – Galway Civic Trust hosts a ‘Notable Women of Galway’ walking tour to mark the day (Sunday 8th March).

NUI Galway, Skehana & District Heritage Group Galway and County Council Heritage Service are collaborating on a photographic showcase on Galway Estates as part of Heritage Week, which takes place from 17 to 25 August.

On Thursday next February 21st, at 8.30pm, the Winter Lecture Series, ‘The Seeds That Grew the Tree’, will resume at Screene’s of Guilka, Menlough, Co. Galway, with a talk entitled ‘Éamon De Valera – A Personal Perspective’ to be delivered by his grandson ÉamonÓ’Cuív T.D. Éamon will detail his early memories of his grandfather, his character and personality and his own questioning as a child of his grandmother, Sinéad de Valera (née Flanagan), about the 1916 Easter Rising where he will recall her as a very strong-willed person who was committed to nationalism.

On Wednesday January 23rd the Winter Lecture Series, entitled ‘The Seeds that grew the tree’, resumes at Screene’s of Guilka. This talk, ‘A Class Quite Distinct – West of Ireland Herdsmen in the 19th Century’ will offer a fascinating insight into the lives of the individuals many of whom were in the employment of landlords throughout County Galway and indeed many of whose descendants continue to live locally to this day.

The years between 2013 and 2023 commemorate the centenaries of some of the most important events in our history that have served to define us as a nation and as a people. The Decade of Centenaries initiative includes events such as the Dublin Lockout, the Great War, the Easter 1916 Rising, the first Dáil, the War of Independence, the signing of The Anglo-Irish Treaty and the ensuing Civil War. These events have touched most communities in Ireland as each are commemorated locally to recall and remember great people and great deeds. The Skehana area is delighted to be a part of these thus far and will continue to be into the future.